This invention relates to portable toilets and more specifically to a spout for association with the holding tank of such a portable toilet for the purpose of emptying the contents of the holding tank.
Portable toilets have come to enjoy widespread popularity, particularly in the recreational field. The assignee of the present patent application, Thetford Corporation, has been the leading innovator in portable toilets. One such innovation is the two-piece portable toilet which has separably mounted seat and holding tank sections. The seat section comprises a bowl having a bottom discharge outlet in sealed relation with an opening in the holding tank section. A flush water storage reservoir surrounds the bowl and a flush medium, such as flush water, may be introduced into the bowl from the storage reservoir by means of a hand operated pump. The contents of the bowl are deposited into the holding tank section by operation of a valve at the holding tank opening. The holding tank serves to accumulate waste contents from the bowl as the toilet is used.
From time to time the holding tank is emptied. This is done by removing the seat section from the holding tank section, transporting the holding tank section to a suitable disposal facility, removing an outlet cap from an outlet opening on the holding tank and pouring out the contents of the holding tank through its outlet opening and into the disposal facility. One or more rinsing operations may thereafter be conducted on the holding tank section to more thoroughly remove any minute amounts of residual waste material. The outlet cap is then put back in place, and the seat section finally re-mounted on the holding tank section.
As explained in the aforementioned pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 383,410, the inclusion of a separate spout on the holding tank section can be beneficial. One advantage is that the dumping procedure is made more convenient and can be accomplished with less concern for back-splashing of the waste discharge.
Insofar as applicants are aware, the disclosure of pending application Ser. No. 383,410 is the sole disclosure of a portable toilet with a separate pourout spout for the holding tank section.
Theretofore the usual practice had been to provide a threaded boss circumscribing an outlet opening and a threaded cap threaded onto the boss to close the opening. When the contents were to be dumped, the cap was unscrewed and the waste materials poured out.
The pourout spout disclosed in that patent application is an integral part of a new model of portable toilet also illustrated therein. That spout and toilet were designed to incorporate new and unique cooperative features forming certain details of the invention of that application. One such detail comprises a particular keyed connection of the pourout spout with the aperture in the holding tank section within which one end of the pourout spout is disposed.
The present invention is directed to a portable toilet pourspout which can be used with a range of different portable toilet models. This is an important aspect of the invention for it allows a pourspout to be offered to customers as an accessory item for use not only with newly purchased toilets, but also with previously purchased ones as well. By virtue of unique features the pourspout of the present invention is adapted for many existing models of portable toilets so that there is no need to redesign or modify those existing models of portable toilets merely to accept the new pourspout. For customers already owning portable toilets, it means that they do not have to modify their toilets, and for the toilet manufacturer, it means no retooling of existing toilets.
In addition to the foregoing, the pourspout of the present invention is endowed with a stowage capability which minimizes the risk that waste products will accidentally come in contact with the user or with the environment in which the spout is stowed when not in use.
Still another attribute of the invention involves the particular design of the pourspout which renders its attachment compatible with various models of portable toilets yet imposes no significant restriction on the discharge of the waste contents through it. When in use the pourspout promotes an efficient discharge of waste contents while minimizing the risk that waste contents passing through the spout might impede the desired discharge flow through the spout and/or back-splash.
In its preferred embodiment the invention is offered in a kit form containing several component parts. The kit affords the customer the capability for attachment to a range of portable toilet models without the use of tools or the need to make modifications to his toilet. It also provides the stowage capability referred to above.